All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
GOD'S USE OF THE WORD *IF*
I posted this comment on a particular ongoing topic and decided to see what information I could get from you regarding it.
If I find a contradiction in the Bible, it means that I haven't studied the Bible properly to find all the parts of the statement. The contradiction is in me, not in what the Bible says. We often don't read an entire statement that the Bible makes and are misled by the portion that we have read.
The Bible is alive and being alive, it requires us to act. There are many occasions when God says I will (promise) IF(required action by us). Most every blessing in the Bible is conditioned with an action by us. Christ was given to us but certain things had to happen first. John Baptist had to be here to introduce Him. That required prayer on the part of his parents. There had to be people living on earth who would accept Him (Christ). Judas had to betray Christ. Or, at least, someone had to in order to bring His sacrifice into being. Peter spoke through Christ, healing on the man sitting at the gate but the man had to accept the healing. The disciples accepted Christ's invitation to follow Him and they did it immediately. However, there was one invitation extended that wasn't accepted until the man had buried his parents. That was more or less withdrawn by Christ. (at least for that moment.)
The man plowing who looks back isn't fit for the Kingdom of Heaven. This isn't saying the man will never be fit...it means that he isn't ready at that moment. On the other hand, Lot's wife was told not to look back on the destruction of Sodom...but she did. The consequences were immediate.
The Bible holds so many instructions that will bring us joy and peace IF we will read and study them in the context of which they were written.
My main question is: are we reading past the word *if*? Are we understanding that action is required to obtain the results that we are striving for?
Blessings.....
Rita
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Amanda on
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PS Application of the meaning is a different thing, and I get the impression that you and Char are referring to applying the meaning of a Scripture to your lives, and that can be different for each of us. The meaning doesn't change but the application of it can take many different forms. Application is when you respond to the meaning of a Scripture. Application is very personal. The Holy Spirit will show us what to do about what we've read and now understand. That's how God's word changes one's life, isn't it?
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You have applied Scriptures to your life. This used to be you all the time:
But not so much anymore.
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You and me both. BTW, you can mis-apply Scriptures. One way it happens is when the passage is said to apply to all when it really just applies to the one or ones being addressed.
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Yes. A Scripture may not speak directly and personally to you. We must use discernment then to learn how to apply such a Scripture.
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Permalink Reply by Tammy on
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Rita can speak for herself but what I got from what she said is certain Scriptures can be more personal in a special way. I'll give an example: I was living in the ways of the world, drinking, drugging, waking up to whoever, just crazy. Well, one day I began puking up my beer & I could hold down a 12 pack every day & sometimes more. You guessed correctly, the stick was blue. I was pregnant with Destiny - my first baby that I gave birth to. I completely left that lifestyle after some people were going to kill me given the opportunity never to turn back. I began studying the Word. A scripture popped out at me 1 Timothy 2:15 But women will be saved through childbearing--if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety. Now, I know that the literal meaning is that a woman must accept Christ to be saved but at that moment, the Lord came out in bold print. Destiny literally saved me physically. Does that make sense? It may not be what she's saying but that's how I took it.
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Tammy,
There is something that is called a rhema word from God. I'm not sure if what you have stated falls under the umbrella of that or not. At my former church there is a new minister now but the other minister who was there during my time as a member, which was close to four years, told me about rhema.
http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/christian-principles/the-word/rhema...
A similar definition is found here:
http://ati.iblp.org/ati/family/articles/concepts/rhema/
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Thanks Amanda. I've heard that word maybe twice but forgot all about it & forgot what it meant.
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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on
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Amen Amanda - Good word!
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if you keep you mouth shut and your ears open, you will know what you know and you will know what others know too." Loved this. I wish I was better at it.
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Rita and Char,
You both point out very valid points and for the sake of clarity I want to say that my posts in this discussion are not meant to challenge what you are trying to convey.
When we exchange with others what we believe a verse means to instruct us and we remain open and teachable, then we edify one another. We find out that by putting our heads together and sharing what the Spirit has enlighten us to see in the text, the author's intended meaning becomes clearer. There is a tremendous value to sharing our understanding of scripture with one another, especially when we remain open to change.
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It is normal to reconsider beliefs and very possible to end up believing something different afterwards. Awareness can change. We are so dependent upon enlightenment from God.
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Amen. I can't count the times I've come to believe something else. As long as I'm wrong, I'm always learning.
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